A Taste of Chicago - Ed Debevics

Navy Pier. 2/23/2026 dwm

Navy Pier is a gathering place and tourist attraction. Tour boats take guests along the shore to see the Chicago Skyline and a large Ferris wheel offers a view of Lake Michigan and the City of Big Shoulders.

In February the pier is quieter than other times of the year. While walking past the sky wheel, it was moving but I didn't see passengers in the gondolas, so I presumed it was running just to keep things moving.

The pier itself provides a nice place to look at the Chicago skyline.

The Hancock Building stands tall. 2/23/2026 dwm

Decades ago, on a school field trip to Chicago, I made it to the observation deck of the . I hoped to get there this time, but ran out of time.

The Willis (formerly Sears) Tower is the tallest structure in Chicago. When I checked on how to visit the city's high places, I saw several ads offering tours with a packaged price.

The south side of the pier is where you can see the Willis Tower and the stadium that is the current home of the city's NFL team.

The tall tower is not Willis, it's further south. 2/23/26 dwm

The sun came out as I turned toward downtown and the large pavilion on the pier provided a wind break just as I was starting to feel cold.

It was also time to eat. I walked west on Illinois Street to Mc Clurg where I turned right then walked to Ohio Street and took a left, walking two more blocks to the corner of Ohio and St. Clair. On the other side of the street was Ed Debevic's Diner.

As an adult, we've lived in Wisconsin two times, 1989 - 2005 (3 years in Janesville, the rest in Augusta) and 2012 - present (Madison area).

Ed Debevics. 2/23/26 dwm

When we moved back the first time, we often listened to . One of the places I heard the announcers talk about a place called Ed Debevics. I was intrigued. The diner was one of the places that came to mind when I registered for the Association for Christian Fundraising conference and was happy that it was a short walk from the hotel.

This is it's second location, opening in the Streeterville neighborhood five years ago. Ed Debevic's Diner is known for it's snarky service and retro-themed diner. They remind newcomers that Debevics is not a typical restaurant.

I walked in just after one o'clock Monday. A nerdy-looking server asked if I'd ever been there, I said no. He told me to find a clean table and sit down.

At times, I've heard, the servers dance on tables, that didn't happen while I was there. But they gave me a paper hat with Debevics printed on it, I put it on to fit in.

My server. 2/23/2026 dwm

The diner looks like it's right out of the 50s, but the rock and roll I heard was more recent.

I ordered a hamburger with fries and a chocolate malt, but I may of misread it because I was given a burger with two patties. When I wrote this post, I looked at their menu and saw that's how they do it - it sure was filling!

The malt was amazing. I was pleasantly surprised to see the server deliver the malt with a refill sitting in the tin used to mix it up. The extra malt was poured into a cup I took with me.

I noticed the ketchup bottle was almost empty; I said to the server, "Your ketchup bottle is almost empty." He replied, "My bottle? I didn't know I owned all the ketchup." Getting the message, I corrected that it was my bottle.

Conversations between servers and their guests could be heard, a different server must have picked up the payment because she loudly exclaimed, "No tip! Why don't I get a tip?" I'm pretty sure that was a bit, because I heard that a couple times.

The counter at Ed Debevics. 2/23/26 dwm

When the server brought out my burger, I asked if I could take a picture. He said OK, but doesn't look happy about it (see above phoro).

There's a sign by the entrance with the Ed Debevic's story and how this off-kilter and fun diner came to exist in Chicago. You can read the story by clicking this link.

I enjoyed the atmosphere and loved the food. It was worth the trip, the only thing to improve my experience would be eating there with friends and family.

If you are going to Chicago and are close to the Magnificent Mile, take a short walk on Ohio Street for a malted and a burger from Ed Debevics!